A Milestone

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending several days in Austin, Texas helping KMFA radio station celebrate its 50th anniversary. That’s a rare and wonderful milestone for any radio station, and it’s extraordinary for one with a classical music format. The events included a brunch for station donors, and two concerts by the Austin period instrument ensemble La Follia, hosted by KMFA. These were just a few of the ongoing activities the station is hosting throughout the year to celebrate its half century of existence. One of the most impressive aspects I observed was the pervasive community collaboration. Donors were recognized for supporting the station for 25+ and 50 years. What a vote of confidence to have contributors of such longevity! The station also has partnerships with a variety of arts organizations and businesses throughout the community, and there is great enthusiasm for the station even from people I met on the street. Whatever they’re doing at KMFA, they’re clearly doing it right, and their community recognizes and appreciates it. Congratulations to my colleagues at KMFA, and to the good people of Austin for nurturing such a valuable community resource!

Sunday Baroque Blog

Host Suzanne Bona occasionally shares something interesting with you that is too timely or doesn't quite fit on the weekly broadcast. It might be to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the program, tell you about a terrific new recording, share information about a group's concert tour or latest award, or inform you about the passing of an important musician. Sometimes it might be an observation about the musical scene in general, or a reaction to a news item that relates to the world of music or the arts. Check in with Suzanne's blog to see what she has to say and join the conversation.